


Sunset Hair and Ocean Eyes

by McTimeWithAutomail



Series: Dreams of Sunsets and Singers [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, linked universe au - Fandom
Genre: ...but they don't get a happily ever after THAT easily, AKA I am a mean author >:3, Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gallons of angst with a teaspoon of fluff, Link's Awakening but it's Marin's POV and she knows something is weird, Marin and Legend just need to be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:55:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26019916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McTimeWithAutomail/pseuds/McTimeWithAutomail
Summary: Life on Koholint was very routine, everything calm and pristine. Smiling faces walked the streets, and friendly animals followed wherever Marin’s voice went. Kind faces and caring neighbors, a loving father, and watercolor sunrises and sunsets that bled together, allowing the days and weeks to smoothly flow from one to the next. Koholint was perfect....almost too perfect-Link's Awakening except it's Marin's perspective and she know's something is weird.(TW for injury description/stitches)
Relationships: Legend (Linked Universe)/Marin (Legend of Zelda), Link & Marin (Legend of Zelda), Link/Marin (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Dreams of Sunsets and Singers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888546
Comments: 7
Kudos: 63





	Sunset Hair and Ocean Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Nintendo, that's a nice character you have there...it'd be a shame if something were to hurt her...a real shame...

~~_**The mountain...the egg. Something about it pulls at my heart, yearns for me to draw in closer. A melody that remains unfinished. Something is wrong, but what is it? Something’s wrong wrong wrong I can’t wake up why can’t I wake up from the dream help help help heLP HEL-**_~~  
-  
Marin walked along the beach, sandals in hand so she could walk barefoot on the cool ground. The sun had barely risen and the waves left a chill in the air. She didn’t mind the slight chill in the air, rather she let it embrace her and allowed the whisper of a breeze to wind its way around her. The cold sweat she had woken up in that morning was finally leaving her as the sun rose higher from beyond the horizon. Marin had been waking up like this for ~~_**days? Weeks? How long, how long, how long**_~~ for as long as Marin could remember. However, no matter how many times she had the dreams, they would only stay for as long as she slept. As soon as she would awaken, gasping and kicking off her bedding, she could no longer remember what she had dreamt of. All she knew is that the dreams always left her dreading the moment her eyes closed and her head hit the pillow.

Life on Koholint was very routine, everything calm and pristine. Smiling faces walked the streets, and friendly animals followed wherever Marin’s voice went. Kind faces and caring neighbors, a loving father, and watercolor sunrises and sunsets that bled together, allowing the days and weeks to smoothly flow from one to the next. Koholint was perfect. ~~_**Almost too perfect what’s wrong what’s wrong what’s wrong.**_~~ The beach was quiet, the only noise being Marin’s footsteps in the sand and the lapping of the waves against the shore. An undisturbed beach on a perfect island. Except for when it wasn’t.

It was at that moment that Marin saw a lump in the distance. Farther down the beach, what appeared to be pieces of wood and sail clung to one another in a soaking wet lump. _Since when does trash end up on the beach?_ Curiosity fueling her, Marin’s walk turned into a run as she went to get a closer look. She stopped suddenly, almost slipping in the sand as her blood went cold. _A hand was sticking out from under the sail_. Crouching down onto the sand, her hands grabbed the edges of the sail and pulled it back. She felt the blood drain from her face when she got a good look at the half-dead boy in front of her.

His hands were marred with angry red stripes, blisters littering his fingers. Marin could only imagine how the salty water must hurt those wounds. Thin, sunburn pink lines branched out and wound its way around his arm. She vaguely remembered seeing something similar on a fisherman who had been out on the water and got struck by lightning. Her eyes drifted upward and took in his face. He had a couple of scratches here and there, but the concerning part was the knot that rested along his hairline. _Something must’ve given him a hard hit on the head._ He had sunset hair, bright golden shifting into a soft pink at the ends. Wiping away the wet hair that clung to his skin, she quickly pressed her fingertips to the side of his neck. Please Hylia, let him be alright. Her prayers were answered as she felt his faint pulse beneath her fingertips. Letting go of the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, she quickly moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso before beginning to pull him towards her and her father’s house.

“Don’t worry, Sunset boy,” She murmured as she pulled him. “I’m going to make sure you wake up.”

-

As soon as Marin came into the house yelling about an unconscious and injured boy, Tarin had come running to help. Removing dishes from the table, Tarin carried the boy over to their kitchen area to get the sand and blood cleaned off of him. Once deemed clean, he found some of his old clothing that the boy could wear until his mostly intact outfit he wore was washed and clean.

Marin was now sitting by the bed the boy was occupying, combing her fingers through his damp hair. He was currently suffering from a fever, and had yet to come out of his unconscious state. She only briefly left the boy’s side to grab him a cool cloth for his forehead. Cool hands brushed away sweaty bangs before placing the cloth against him. ~~_**She pretended not to notice the panicked feeling in her chest, and she ignored the constellations of scars on his skin that worried her so. Maybe if she pretended not to see the sick feeling of worry would go away and it would all just be a long-forgotten dream.**_~~

The sound of rustling sheets and a groan brought her focus back to the boy who’s facial expression had turned into a wince. Squeezing his eyes shut as his body tensed. Eyes slowly opened, and the boy’s half lidded gaze tugged at Marin’s heart. Ocean blue eyes with tidal waves of stories and memories crashing forward. However, right now the boy’s gaze seemed unfocused, his mind without an anchor keeping him grounded in reality. It almost seemed as though he was only staring straight through Marin rather than at her.

“..Z-Zel...that you?” He started to push himself from the bed before Marin gently grabbed his shoulders.

“Oh you shouldn’t get out of bed yet! You have a pretty bad fever and you need time to rest and recover.”

“ ‘m sorry Zel...be back soon…’m sorry” _Who is Zel? A nickname? A pet? A place? ~~ **Is there something that exists beyond my reality?**~~_

Marin figured that now would probably not be the best time to explain to a sick and confused stranger that she had no clue who or what he was talking about.

“It’s okay, really. You should get some more rest. It’s really fine.”

Whether he was satisfied with her answer or not, she didn’t have time to find out as he drifted back into unconsciousness. Even with him being as confused as he was, Marin could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Her Sunset boy had woken up.

-

It took a couple more days of drifting in and out of consciousness before the boy fully awoke. Two days after Marin first found him, she watched him toss and turn as he muttered under his breath. With a sudden cry, he flung himself up into a sitting position before grabbing his head with a groan. _That probably was not the greatest way to wake up after spending days in bed_. As he slowly turned to stare at the father and daughter pair across the room from him, Marin gave him a warm smile.

“What a relief! I thought you’d never wake up! You’ve been asleep for almost three days, and you were tossing and turning so much!”

Tarin suddenly appeared beside the boy with a cup of water, extending it for him to take. Hesitantly accepting the glass, he downed half of it before his soft voice croaked out “...where?”

“You’re on Koholint island, I found you washed up on the beach a couple of days ago...how are you feeling?”

Only getting a small shrug as a response, Marin was about to ask another question when she noticed the intense way the boy was studying her face.

“You...you l-look like Zelda…”

Allowing a small laugh to escape her, she replied “Zelda...what an interesting name. My name’s Marin,” she made her way towards the boy as he finished his water, removing the glass from him. ~~_**Marin refused to let herself get distracted by the shimmering blue of his eyes that were focused on her**_~~ “What’s your name?”

“Link.” was all the boy said as he swung his legs around to the side of the bed and stood. A panic seemed to overtake him as he frantically patted his back and sides in search of something. Snapping his attention back to Marin, he asked “My sword and shield. Where ar-”

“You didn’t have the sword on you when I found you, sorry. Maybe it washed up further down the beach from where I found you! If you take the lane south, you’ll reach the beach where I found you.”

“Just be careful!” Tarin added as he walked over to Link with the shield. “For some odd reason, monsters have started showing up on the beach. Link only gave a small nod in response before he promptly ran out the door to search for his sword.

Sunset Boy Link was now awake, and she could tell that there was something different about him.

-  
Marin hadn’t fully realized how monotonous life on Koholint really was until Link had shown up. Days blurred together, noting to distinguish one as more important than another. Koholint was like it’s own little dollhouse, neatly set with everyone having their own set role to play in a world where pain and flaws didn’t exist. But ever since Link arrived, things changed. Suddenly, monsters roamed the forests. Octoroks made themselves right at home on the beach, and bokoblins loomed around every corner. ~~ _ **Where did they come from where where where**_~~ Luckily for the village, Link seemed particularly skilled at fighting these creatures. The way he fought them almost looked routine, the way he swung his sword as if it was simply an extension of himself. ~~_**Had the monsters always been there? Where did they come from where where where**_~~ Life inside the dollhouse was becoming more suffocating each passing day as Marin heard the grand, fantastical tales Link told her. He spoke of a world beyond the island, where the weather was always changing. Water would pour from the sky and impossibly loud crashing and bursts of light would fill the air. The land of Hyrule was not simply a small area with ocean as far as the eye could see, but rather a vast place with forests and towns and caves.

The more she heard of Hyrule, the more that the mysterious land called to her heart. The strangest part of all was that Marin had no idea such a place as Hyrule existed. All she had ever known was the island, and whenever she had asked other islanders if they ever felt the pull to explore beyond Koholint, her questions were always met with the same disappointing response. “There is nothing beyond the island, and why would you ever want to leave? What could you possibly need that Koholint doesn’t have?

Time and time again, these answers were drilled into Marin’s brain. The same message, the same words. A cold truth that wound its way around her and prevented any escape.

T̶̼͆̒̈́h̴̼̯͛̈́̐̍ĕ̶̟̲̙͗ ̵̣͑i̴͎̰͇̬̪͆s̸̠̭͈͑́̑̚͠ͅl̵̞̠̫̠̘̐a̴̻͂ň̵̻̝̹̻̙̐͠d̷̨̜̘̜̒̿̏̂ ̶̲̝̙͖̦̇͛̂į̶̯̜̜́̓̄͝s̶̡͈̥̬͔͊̑ ̴̡̻̪̝̓͋͆ã̸̛͈̝̹͘l̶̨̬̓̄̎̓ļ̵̼͙͚͒̊̕ ̵͇͚͂̓͘͝t̷̲͇͖̑̀h̷̯̠͎̩̘̏͝e̶͖͊̽̕͘ͅr̶̗͛͑̆e̶͓̫͎̱͉̔ ̴̱̝̐̇i̵̲͓͗͑̾͛s̷͇̈́̚

-

Marin was sitting on the beach with Link, the sun having risen just high enough that they could see without being blinded, and the chill of early morning still lingered. She felt so restless lately, unable to truly fall asleep. She honestly couldn’t even remember the last time she had a full night’s sleep. So when she heard the front door slowly creaking open this morning, she decided to accompany Link for a while.

“How did you get so good at fighting the monsters? You don’t seem at all scared!”  
Link plucked a small shell out of the sand, rubbing it between his fingers as he stared out towards the horizon.

“Back in Hyrule, I’ve had to fight lots of monsters...I’m the chosen hero. I can’t afford to be scared when people need protecting.”

“Being your country’s hero must be difficult, but I bet your family is proud.”

A momentary silence washed over the two before a soft murmur made itself known.

“I wouldn’t know. The only family I have left I haven’t gotten to see in a long time.”

A pang of guilt tugged at Marin’s heart. “Oh Link, I’m so sorry I shouldn’t have-.”

“It’s okay. I was pretty little. I at least have some great friends, and my sister, but it’s been ages since I’ve seen her because I was off training.” He tossed the shell into the ocean with a soft _plunk_ before sighing “I was actually on my way back home when that storm hit, and next thing I knew I washed up here.”

Reaching out a hand, Marin’s gave Link’s hand a soft squeeze. “I’m sure you’ll get home in no-time.”

“Sure,” Link snorted, “as soon as I figure out how I’m supposed to wake this WindFish or whatever it is…”

“Oh, the Legend of the Windfish!” Marin hopped up, pulling Link up to stand. Once upright, she pointed to the spotted egg at the top of the mountain. “Supposedly, no one can leave the island unless the WindFish is woken. There’s a special song you need to play to wake it up. I remember learning it from…” She trailed off, unsure of what she was going to say. ~~_**When had she learned the Ballad of the Windfish? Who taught her the song? Where had it come from?**_~~ “...Well, it’s a song I learned. You’re supposed to play it on these special instruments, but no one knows where they are or how to find them. But I bet that if anyone can, you can!”

“If you could teach me, that would be great.”

Marin’s smile matched the rising sun, glowing with warmth as she started to sing for her Sunset Boy. With her help, Link could awaken the Windfish, and he could go home.

-

Two weeks had passed, and Link had slowly been making his way through the mysterious dungeons around the island. Marin had been surprised to learn that these dungeons even existed. None of the other islanders seemed to pay much attention to the sudden increase in monsters throughout the island, or the fact that Link would disappear for a couple days at a time. He would return to Marin’s house with an instrument as well as a few bumps and bruises.

Marin was currently preparing herself some tea when the front door opened with a slam. Crumpling to the ground, Link had the Sea Lily Bell in one hand while his other was wrapped around his side. Letting out a gasp, Marin quickly set down her mug and went to Link.

“Can you stand?”

Once she received a nod of confirmation, she slowly helped him stand and walked him over to a chair in the kitchen.

“Stalfos sword…almost missed, but I think it j-just grazed the side…”

“Arms up.” Slowly working the bloody shirt off of him, Marin finally was able to get a  
good look at the damage. The wound wasn’t too deep, stretching about five inches below the right side of his ribs. Biting her bottom lip, she took a shaky breath. She was no expert on treating injuries, but it looked like this was going to need more than a smiley face bandaid. She brushed damp bangs off of his forehead before giving him a comforting smile that she hoped didn’t give away her fear for him.

Going over to one of the kitchen drawers, she pulled out a couple of clean rags and dampened one of them at the sink. She quickly made her way around the small house, gathering supplies from here and there before returning to Link. Popping open a bottle of vodka that had been stuffed in the back of their pantry, she poured a bit onto the wound. Red fizzed and Link hissed, flinching as Marin pulled the bottle back and murmured apologies. Gentle hands wiped the skin clean before setting down the cloth and reaching for the sewing kit and bandages.

“This probably won’t heal pretty. I’ve never had to do this before…”

“ ‘s okay,” Link’s voice sounded strained as Marin helped adjust him into a more comfortable position. “Just another one to add to the collection I suppose.”

Pouring a bit of vodka on the other clean rag, she cleaned off the needle before threading it. ~~ _ **I don’t know what I’m doing I was never taught this what if I hurt him I can’t I can-**_~~

“Hey,” One of his hands took hers, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. “It’s okay. I trust you. It seems a lot harder to do than it actually is.” Her gaze found his, and she managed a small smile. Her Sunset Boy would be just fine.

The two were quiet as Marin carefully stitched up the wound. Tying the end off, she grabbed the bandages and wrapped Link up. “How does it feel?”

“Good. You did a good job.” He slowly moved to face her. “Thanks, Marin.”

“Now will you please be more careful next time? You scared me half to death!”

Link gave a small laugh at that before wrapping his arms around her. “No guarantees, but I’ll try my best.” Marin was careful in hugging him, pulling him as close as she could without squeezing his newly repaired side. She closed her eyes and let her head rest on his shoulder. Her Sunset Boy was right there with her and he was fine. ~~_**Why does he feel different from everyone else on Koholint why why why**_~~

“Maybe you should take it easy for a few days before you move onto the next dungeon. If not for you then at least for my peace of mind.”

“Okay. For you, I’ll take a break.”

Her Sunset Boy was here with her, awake and alive, and he was going to be fine.

-

Marin and Link were sitting together on a log, the vast sea in front of them. The sun sat high in the afternoon sky, reflecting off the clear ocean and making the world around them sparkle. Per usual, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and there was a gentle breeze that kept them from getting too hot. A perfect afternoon on a perfect island.

“Y’know, it’s funny.” Marin broke the silence between them. “I’ve been wondering where these coconut trees came from. Tarin says that there’s nothing beyond the sea...but I’ve always felt like there must be something out there, something other than endless ocean.” She turned so she was sitting facing him, chewing on her lip as she grasped for the words she wanted to say. “When I discovered you that morning on the beach, my heart skipped beat! I knew instantly that you must have come as a sign, that you were someone special. You’re here to save everyone when you wake the Windfish, and the island will finally feel like a real home again…”

“You sound so confident that I’ll succeed. You’ve barely known me more than a month and yet you have more faith in me than I do in myself.” His normally bright, ocean colored eyes now looked unsure, like they were tossing around a lost ship at sea with no hope of returning. “How can I expect that I’ll get the job done when I couldn’t even save my own family? How can I put faith in someone whose legacy lies only in a sword and a goddess that has caused so much pain?”

At this, Marin felt an ache in her chest as she thought of the hardships he must have endured in Hyrule. Even with as many lives as he saved, constantly trying to do better and yet feeling like you never could. The pressure of living up to the Heroes that came before him. Marin brushed away the bangs that had fallen into Link’s face before giving him a soft smile.

“I’ll just have to have enough confidence for the both of us then, won’t I? Cause even if you don’t believe in yourself, I do. I’ve seen the people you’ve helped here, the monsters you’ve fought, heard about the challenges you’ve overcome. You’ve gone through hell and back, staring death in the face and yet you are still willing to risk your life for an island of people you barely know, and I think that makes you a pretty incredible hero.”

“You really think I’m an incredible hero?”

“Without a doubt. Men with hearts like yours aren’t easy to come by. Heroes can’t be reduced to the big evil that they fight or the stories they leave behind. Heroes are defined by the lives they’ve touched, and their passion to protect what they care most for.”

Link’s cheeks took on a soft pink shade as he gave Marin a shy smile. “Thanks, Marin.” He slowly moved himself closer to Marin as the two fell into a moment of quiet. Marin looked out towards the horizon, sea and sky bleeding together and no land in sight.

“If I was a seagull, I would fly as far as I could.” Her voice captured Link’s attention from the crab he had been watching crawl across the sand. “I would love to travel far away and sing for many people…” Snapping out of her daydreams of far off lands and music, she gasped. “I bet you get to travel lots as a hero! Oh, you must see so many interesting places. It would be amazing to travel to a whole other country. Do you sail everywhere you go? Is there water surrounding everything like Koholint? What about the animals, I bet there’s creatures I’ve never even heard of in your Hyrule! And I-” The gears wildly spinning in her head suddenly stopped and she blushed, turning to the boy who was watching her with a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes. “Sorry, I’m rambling. I’ll stop.”

Link chuckled. “You have nothing to apologize for. I love how passionate and adventurous your spirit is...hey Marin?”

“Yeah?”

“What do you say about coming with me once I wake the Windfish. I  
mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I could take you to Hyrule and I could take you to-” Noticing the shocked expression, he stammered “L-Like I said you ca-”

“You really mean it?”

“Of co-”

Arms were flung around Link’s neck and the two fell off the log. Embracing in the sand, Marin couldn’t stop grinning. _She could go home with Link_. _She could live her dreams!_ Link stared at the girl on top of him, curls of fire and gold glowing against her sun kissed face.  
“Soooo I’m guessing you’re going to think about it?”

“Haha, you’re hilarious.”

“Actually, I’m not hilarious. I’m Link.”

“Oh you’re-no, I’m not falling for that again.” She laughed, loosening her grip so she could sit up. The two adjusted so their backs were to the log. Her head rested on his shoulder, his arm holding her close, ~~_**holding tight as if we would crumble to nothingness otherwise, the pins and needles on my skin from numbness rather than from your holding me close.**_~~

“Link?”

“Hm?”

“I want to know everything about you.”

“Mmmm, might take awhile.”

“That’s fine, I have all the time in the world.”

-

“Is this really all of them? Wow...this is incredible.”

Spread out between Link and Marin were all of the instruments. Collected through the blood, sweat, and tears of the Hero seated across from her. All of his hard work, and they were finally ready to wake the Windfish.

“I know, It almost doesn’t feel real. Tomorrow we’ll finally get to leave Koholint. Together.” Link wrapped one of her hands in his own. “Thank you.”

Marin raised a brow, surprised. “Me? What are you thanking me for?”

“Thank you for taking care of me. For every time I’ve come out of a fight a bloody mess, for every time that you’ve made me smile. For all your unwavering belief and care, for all of your confidence in me. For every sunrise and sunset you’ve sat with me, and for every time you’ve made me tea when I can’t sleep. For blessing me with your songs, your voice, your laughter and smiles.” Marin’s heart was on fire, sending fireworks across her skin as his hands caressed her cheeks. Her sunset boy was glowing as he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered softly “Thank you for loving me, and for letting me love you.”

Marin honestly couldn’t say when she fell in love with Link. It wasn’t sudden, like accidentally walking into a wall you didn’t realize existed. There was no sharp turn from friendship to something more. Without any declarations before that night, Link had simply become a part of her life that she could no longer imagine him not being there. A space in her heart that she hadn’t even realized existed now was filled with soft whispers of “I love you”s and warm embraces. The Link-shaped hole in her heart had slowly been filled over the time he had spent with her. Her Sunset Boy, her Sunset Boy, was glowing with love for her, and she felt complete. She felt loved. ~~_**When was the last time I felt loved?**_~~ She looked into Link’s eyes, her own shining as she gave a teasing grin. “I don’t think I’ll be able to top all that, but I absolutely love you and I look forward to what tomorrow brings.”

She felt a hand leave her cheek to tuck waves of ginger behind her ear. A feather-light kiss brushed her cheek before finding her lips. He then stood, scooping her up and into his arms. A very surprised Marin let out a giggle, wrapping her arms around his neck. The sky outside the window had grown dark, hundreds of stars freckled among the deep sea of night. The hero set Marin down in her bed carefully, and before he had the chance to leave, she grabbed his hand.  
“Stay with me?”

Unable to turn her down even if he wanted to, he sat on the edge of the bed to remove his boots. Once the footwear was tossed aside, Link lay back on the bed, wrapping his arms around Marin from behind her. The girl felt a kiss pressed into her hair.

“I promise, as soon as we leave the island that I will take you anywhere you want to go.” Another kiss by her ear. “You and me. I’ll show you my favorite places in Hyrule,” On her shoulder. “You can meet Zelda, she’ll love you.” She rolled over to face him, slowly kissing him. He momentarily let go to fumble for the blanket that was crumpled onto the floor next to the bed. Tucking her into the blanket, he pressed one last kiss on the crown of her head before his arms drew her close to him yet again.

“Sweet dreams, Mari.”

“Sweet dreams, my Sunset Boy.”

B̷̨͍̘̜͘͜͝Ǘ̶̡̡̩͍͇̟̞̻̺͍͖̼͇̱̝̽̈͑̊̏͠T̶̡̡̧̥̘͕͙̰̲̹̝͔͐͆ͅͅ,̴̧̱̯̱̗͍̯͖̈́̔ ̸̝̮͍̞͚̮͔͎̒̓̆͊͒̈́͐̔̑̐̈̕V̴̩͍̻͎̩̘͙̥̪̙͉͕̒Ẹ̸̩́͐̾̆̀̅͒̔͐̚͝R̵̟͈͚͖̳̫̣̣̰͖̜̜̳̮̋̇̇͛̒̃̎̐̂̐͘͜͝͝I̸̦̪͎͈̱̯̺̗͖͆L̵̨̖͔͉͖̫̞̟̟͚̯̼͒Y̶͔̠͎̼͙̦̻͙͊͆̈́̾͛͗̃͜,̵̛̗̞̹̌̉͆͒́̀͘͝ ̷͇͇͓͈̲̘̐͒̆̉̆͛Ị̴̛̞̖̝͐̋͛̍͒̕̕T̵̡͚̝̫̗̲̩̫̯̱̩͒͊̓̐̄̋̑̓̌̃̇͘ ̶̨̳͌̈̄͒ͅB̶͈̫̲̌͛́̒̃̄E̷̡̘̳̜̱̖͓̙͇̪̿̈ ̵̛̠͚̣̦͈̺̱̪̫̗̼̆̏͐̓̏̄̐͊̒̀͆̆ͅT̵̡͍̽͛̃͑͛͛͑̏̃̅̔͝Ĥ̴̜̝̼̠̖͓́͜͜Ĕ̷̡̲̭̲̄͆̾͗̆͑̽̚ ̴̭͍̥͓͚̩̈́̄̓͆̒̆̐̆̚N̴͎͎̖̺͖̱̄̀͐̚A̴̝̰̐̂̚͝T̸̢̟̘̪͕͈̘̗̪̬̳̹̈̔̔͋̽̈́̏̅U̵̧̢̼͉̟͚̬̽̕R̶̟̯̪̐̎́͋̓̍̇͆̆̋̒͝Ě̶̡̢̧̬̦̹̙̳͉͇̥̤̙̣͑͑̋͒̏͆ ̵̞̩̖̦̞͓̳̬̫̩̫͚̦̊̈́̍̑O̴̥̭͔̙̣͈͖̳͍̤̾̉̓̀̊̊͑̉̈͝F̵͍̻̗ ̴̢̒̇̏̈͑̐̅̿̾̂̑̈͝D̷̡̮̼̻͌̇̓̏̕͜R̴̬̈́́̐̌͝͝Ẻ̷̢̢̝̬̖̩̰̮̳̺̲͉̜̎͊͒ͅÃ̸̙̰̾̉̒̎̇͆̿͒M̴̡̟̘͇̦͔̦͇̦̈́̂͛̓S̷̨̧̢͚̙̖̼̦̙̰͋̆̃ ̵̟̍̽T̸̞͈͙͓̩͖̻̤̂̅͑̾̎̌͆̄̂̍̕͝Ǫ̴̥̗̗̩͔͉͗͗͌̈́̃͘ͅ ̵̡̨̨̘͉͚͚̳̻̜͒̈́̅̃͊͛̿̎͛̍͐̚͝ͅĘ̷̘̞̭̰͗N̴̨̮̟̤͖͉͓̞͓͓͉͋͛́̌̽̓D̷̢̞̟͇͎̗̲̠̣̂̆̀

-

 ** _Something is wrong...something is not right...but what what WHAT. Remember...what do I remember...I need to get up, I need to wakE UP_** -

Marin felt sick. Marin felt _wrong._ Her head throbbed, eyes squeezing shut as she tried to remember what had just happened.

_**Waking up...Link holding me...kissing me good morning before leaving to climb the mountain and wake the windfish…”I’ll be back soon Mari.”...watching him leave...then...then what? I don’t know I don’t know I DON’T REMEMBER-** _

Slowly uncurling to sit up, the black dots in her vision cleared to reveal a sea of darkness. There was enough light from the stars sprinkled among the sky around her to see the pedestal that she was on. Everything else around her was dark, a cold chill creeping up her spine as she slowly turned too if there were any windows, any form of exit, anything.

“Hello?” Her voice echoed, but no response came. “Anyone? Please, where am I?”

**THERE IS NO ONE TO ANSWER YOUR CALLS HERE, CHILD. AT LEAST NOT THAT YOU ARE EXPECTING…**

With a startled yell, Marin whipped around to the voice behind her. A gigantic fish, with a rainbow of colors covering its scales. Tapestries and jewels adorned its back, and it had a pair of green and white feathered wings.

“You’re the Windfish.”

**THAT IS CORRECT...I HAVE BEEN TRAPPED IN SLUMBER FOR A LONG TIME...BUT I WAS AWAKENED BY A HERO THAT POSSESSED COURAGE, WISDOM, AND POWER.**

“Link did it. He really did it!” Marin couldn’t contain the smile that spread across her face. Her brief excitement fizzled away as she brought her attention back to the Windfish. “...where is the hero? Where am I?”

**I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS AWOKEN...I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE TRAPPED IN SLUMBER**

Cold, heavy dread sunk into Marin’s chest, nagging questions and suspicions whispered in her ears. “...what do you mean?”

**YOU WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE HERE...YOU WERE PART OF THIS WORLD BY MERE COINCIDENCE...A PIECE FROM AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PUZZLE...DRAGGED IN HERE UNINTENTIONALLY**

“I-I don’t understand...I don’t understand what you mean” The Windfish’s words slipped through her fingers before she even had a chance to fully grasp them. Quicksand, unable to let their weight sink in before it started swallowing her whole.

**EVIL LURKS EVERYWHERE...NOT CONFINED SIMPLY TO LAND, THERE ARE EVILS WHO SAIL THE SEAS...I WAS FORCED INTO MY SLUMBER BY AN EVIL GOD OF DREAMS...HE PROWLED THE OCEAN, SEEKING TO FEED OFF OF OTHERS LIFE FORCE...LURING OTHERS ONTO HIS SHIP OF LIES ONLY TO STEAL THEIR LIVES...YOU TOO WERE FORCED INTO SLUMBER...BUT HE DID NOT DISPOSE OF YOU AS QUICKLY AS THE OTHERS...OUR CURSED DREAM-LIKE STATES CALLED TO ONE ANOTHER, AND MERGED...YOU BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE ILLUSION OF KOHOLINT.**

Marin’s legs gave out and she dropped to the ground. She felt so sick, she felt so _wrong she shouldn’t be here she wasn’t supposed to BE HERE **who am I who am I why why WHY.**_

**OUR DREAMS WERE INTERTWINED, YOU HAD KNOWLEDGE OTHERS DID NOT EVEN KNOW EXISTED...THE SONG, MY CURSE...YOU HELD THE ANSWERS FOR UNDOING OUR CURSE, EVEN WITHOUT KNOWING IT...BUT, VERILY, IT BE THE NATURE OF DREAMS TO END…**

“My father...Bow-Wow, Madame MeowMew, Grandma Yahoo...where are they?” She didn’t dare to look up at the Windfish, instead focusing on trying to breathe through the lump in her throat and the burning in her eyes. Shaking hands were bundled in her skirt, hoping that if she squeezed them just tight enough that she could feel something other than her heart that felt as if it was pounding it’s way out of her chest.

**THE PEOPLE OF KOHOLINT NEVER WERE…KOHOLINT’S ENTIRE EXISTENCE, INCLUDING ITS INHABITANTS, WERE SIMPLY PART OF THE DREAM...A SCENE PAINTED BY MY CURSED SLEEP...THE DREAM HAS COME TO A CLOSE, AND THUS THEY ARE NO MORE...NOW THAT THE BALLAD HAS BEEN PLAYED, WE MUST BOTH AWAKEN…**

Marin simply wanted to curl up and fade away. Her family, her friends, Link, the animals...gone. As simply as blowing out a candle, her world was thrust into darkness and everything taken from her. Nothing felt real anymore, her body and mind disconnected. She could no longer feel the tears on her face nor the sobs that shook her.

**YOUR HOME IS NO LONGER, AND KOHOLINT HAS FADED AWAY WITH NOTHING TO SHOW IT’S EXISTENCE...I HAVE REACHED THE FINAL CHAPTER, BUT IT IS NOT THE END OF YOUR STORY...A LAND WHERE WORLDS HAVE COLLIDED, TIMES RIPPED APART AT THE SEAMS...WAR RAGES AND THE LAND CRIES FOR FIGHTING SPIRITS...BEGIN YOUR NEXT CHAPTER, DREAMER GIRL…**

Marin felt herself being pulled. Slowly, the scene before her unraveling as darkness clouded her consciousness. Her body spent and her mind weary, she allowed her eyes to drift shut as she faded away. The sun set for Koholint one last time in her mind, hues of hot pinks and firey oranges turning into a dusty purple before darkness swallowed the last rays of light. The golden rays and gentle pinks that colored the first moments of the sun sinking below Koholint’s sky were forever burned into her memory by her Sunset Boy. As unconsciousness pulled at her, a whisper left her lips.

_Sweet dreams, Sunset Boy._

_-_

̵̙̱̬͕͗͂̉̅  
̵̢̢̞̳̭͌̑̀͆͆ͅL̷̞̎̑͆̽ǒ̵̩̮̫ṡ̸̱̣̌ͅt̷̖͎̔̈́́̕͝ ̵͍̞͓̮̞̪͒i̷͉͋̋͌̚͜ṋ̸̏̽̀͆̏͗̒̕ ̶̺͎̦͠d̵̦̹̲̔̆̄̑r̸̤̣̯̰̟͛̆͂̑̅̓ḛ̴̻͙͑̋̊̐͘̕a̸̢͙̩̱͙̓͗̑̉͝m̷̜̎̂̓͌͌̚͝s̶̰͓̲̀̌̆̓͝  
̸̪̇̇̎̽̈  
̸͈͖̂̃̐͒̈́̿̇W̸̬̬̪̘͕̬̱̫͌͆̐͒͝ē̴͇̙̘̋̎̕ ̷̺̝͇̾̀̈́̆͌s̸͔̓̐l̵͖̲͈̬̝̯͊̓͑̐̎̐̚e̷̠̱̰̩͔͇̝̐̄̇͒ë̴̢̘́p̸̰̩͂ͅ ̵̻̦͖̑̐͗̆̈͗͆̇o̵͇̗͋n̵̹̔͠  
̷̢͚̻̭̏ͅ  
̴̘̼̞̜̞̥͠T̴͓͚̠̘̭̠̊͝o̶͉͉̻̪̍̆̓̈́̕͜s̵̠̃̾s̵͓̣̤͔̲̦̟̅͊͊̂͊̓͝i̸̮̊͌n̸̜̭͊̒̽̉͗ġ̴͙̏͐̉̅̍͘ ̵̣̽͝ͅa̸̢̯̥͛̕ͅn̴̡̟͆̓̄̌̈́̇̔d̴̨̡̟̬͖̥̽ ̷͎̳̮͙͈̐̚͠ť̷̳̦̓̈́̈́ư̴̗̈́̑̋̍̒̚̚r̷̛͓͕͚̠͕̞̜̿̌͒̈́̑͋n̵̢͔̪͚̫̥̮͕͝i̸͚͛͗̏n̸̲̆͒̾͛̽̚ģ̴͖̖͖͔͇͆̐̋̉͝  
̴̯̥̇  
̸̛͉͉͚̦̈́͑̑͆ͅS̷̨͍̱͍̥̓͐̉͜͠t̴̖̚ä̵͕͚̠̲̠̳͉͉́̉̊̈́́̽ŷ̶͉̺̞̣͖̓̀ ̴̭̿̂͒̀͂̂͠͝ẉ̷̧̧̃̒͝ḯ̶̡̱̻̥́͒̏̎̈́͐t̵̙̜̎̈́h̴̨̝͖̳͉́͗̾̏͜ ̵̡̝͖͂́̈̏ͅm̶̙̤̘͇͍̝̗̻̎ę̴͍͔̹̪̘̺͋  
̸̡̛̤͎̿͊̑̔́̕͝  
̶̟͈͇̤̭̊͐͠B̵̤͓̖̎̿y̸̝͓̭̎̇̅̄̇̔͜͝ ̶͖̘̠̞̪̝̆̋̿̄m̶̛̖͎͂̾͌͐̑̚͝ͅy̸̻͍̘͕̥͉̩̩̐̑̍̓̔ ̵̨̔͆͒̔s̴̘̬̮̱̞͔̹̔̓̋̓̂̆i̸̢̨̤̠̹̭̊̆̎̐̍͠ͅd̵̩͔͖̄̿̇̃̕̚͠e̸̮̼̩̲͖͑̈  
̵̙̦͇̩͚̿͛̓̈́̕  
̶͎̼͙̲͓̙̪͙̔̆͑̽N̴̪͂́̀̈͊̽͠ė̶̙̞͐́̕͝v̴̠̬͛̆͛̌̿̎͘̕é̷͍̆͘r̶͔̝̊͛̑̃ ̴̧̠͚̞͍͔̋̇̿̃̾̿̏͂͜l̸͇̾̃̅̚͠e̴̼̞̋͒̇͂͂̽͘͘a̵̧͉̮̍̓̈͑͌͜v̶̫́͊͐͘̕e̶̛̛̺͉̣̥͇̼̩͌̈́͛̽͑  
̵̬̖͎͉̇̔̾̉̋̊͝


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